It is imperative when welding a joint between two metals, for example, in gas metal arc welding, to minimize distortions and residual stresses, and to maximize the strength of the welded joint and the surrounding structure.
One method for determining the residual stress of a weld joint is to model the stress based on a modeled weld heat source. For example, a common and very popular method for modeling a weld heat source is known as a double elliptical heat source model, disclosed by Goldak et al. (Goldak) in a paper entitled, A New Finite Element Model for Welding Heat Sources (Metallurgical Transactions, Volume 15B, June, 1984, pages 299-305).
The model disclosed by Goldak, however, may not be directly applied to an arbitrarily shaped weld profile. For example, welding procedures, parameters of the materials, and joint types, e.g., T-fillet joints, butt joints, lap joints, and the like, result in weld heat sources that are no longer elliptical. Therefore, it would be desired to incorporate the weld profile geometry of the joint into the heat source model to improve the accuracy of the model.
The present invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems as set forth above.